


a king beside you

by EliteDelieght, punkrockbadger



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Desi Potters, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-03 08:37:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5284061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliteDelieght/pseuds/EliteDelieght, https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkrockbadger/pseuds/punkrockbadger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The smallest changes often have the largest impacts. [Starring Muggleborn James Potter and Pureblood Lily Evans]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the beginning of AKBY, our attempt at a Role Reversal AU! 
> 
> This is going to be an ongoing side project, and we're excited to get started sharing it with you guys! A lot of thought's gone into it, and will continue to go into it, and we're excited to watch it grow and unfold, as well as to get your reaction!
> 
> Happy November Break, and we hope you enjoy it!
> 
> -S&L

Janardhan was four when he first remembered doing magic. He'd felt it coursing through his veins, felt the rush of it in every cell of his body, and suddenly, the bright yellow shirt Amma had put on him two minutes earlier was no longer yellow.

"Makes me look like a duck, Amma!" He'd whined, but she'd ruffled his hair and told him that, in the large scheme of things, yellow shirts weren't too bad. But the yellow hurt his eyes, and he just plain didn't like it, and before he knew it, the shirt wasn't yellow anymore. It was suddenly a soft blue, like the walls of his room, and Janardhan beamed up at Amma, who looked more than a little scared.

"It's not yellow anymore!" He said gleefully, smiling so wide that he felt like his face would break right open. "Can I go play?"

He didn't know much about the feeling, but he knew more than anything else that he wanted to feel it again.

* * *

Lily Evans had always known her magic was coming.

Some nights she had sat up, imagining the feeling of it coursing through her veins. She would think, for a moment, that her fingertips were tingling with her dormant abilities. Sometimes, if she wasn’t quick enough, her mother would catch her sitting at the foot of her bed, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

She would always laugh and tuck her daughter back into bed, assuring her that the magic would come when it was good and ready.

The magic decided it was good and ready when Lily was five.

Lily and Petunia were playing in the backyard-- or rather, Lily was playing while her sister fretted by the back door.

“Mummy is going to get mad if you get your robes dirty, Lily!” She said, casting a nervous glance into the house.

“I won’t get them dirty!” Lily called back, ignoring the fact that her robes were already quite dingy. She was sitting in her mother’s flower garden, picking the prettiest blossoms. She already had a large armful, but certainly not enough of her own namesake.

“Lily Evans!” Boomed her father’s voice from the doorway. Petunia had shrunk behind their father’s legs, but Lily hurried up to him with a bright grin.

“I picked flowers, Papa!” She said cheerfully, thrusting out her lopsided bouquet. All of the blossoms were opening and closing, over and over. “And I made them dance, too!”

* * *

Janardhan was eleven when the cat lady came.

He knew he shouldn't be calling her the cat lady, but that was what Amma and Appa were calling her. At least they weren't doing it in English, so she didn’t understand what they were saying, but he could see why they were calling that-- she looked like the sort to own a lot of them, and that was without taking the cat fur on her clothes into account.

The cat lady just looked vaguely disapproving as she sat down on the couch, looking between Janardhan and his parents expectantly.

"I'm sure you know why I'm here", she began, and they all shook their heads, Janardhan faster than his parents. He had a habit of doing that, shaking his head so fast he became dizzy, but it was no fun any other way. "Your son is a wizard."

"Idhukku dhaan panam kudukkaromaa?" Amma muttered, earning a soft chuckle from Appa, who at least had the decency to look somewhat disapproving. (Is this what we're paying people for?)

“Erkanave theriyum.” Appa whispered. “Pathinoru varusham avanodu dhaan irundhirukkom.” (We already know that. We’ve lived with him for eleven years.)

The cat lady looked even sterner, if that were possible, before turning to Janardhan specifically. "Do you know what a wizard is?"

"Someone who can do magic." Janardhan said confidently. "I can do magic."

And he could-- just last week, he’d made all the bottles of kashayam in the house disappear when the nasty cough he’d been fighting for the past week made a reappearance. Thankfully, he’d figured out how to control it enough that nothing of the sort happened at school, because although his parents could laugh it off (as long as he set things right afterward, of course), he wasn’t so sure a teacher would.

"I'm glad." The cat lady said, sounding slightly more pleased. "I'm here to offer you attendance at a school for people like you. Wizarding people. If you accept, you'll start in September."

Janardhan’s parents began muttering to each other again, obviously trying to straighten out their position on the matter, and the cat lady only looked angrier.

“Amma, Appa…” Janardhan looked to his parents, pressing his hands together in front of his chest. “Ponaa naan dhaan thindaadanum, please.” (Mom, Dad… I’m the one who’s going to end up suffering if I go.)

"So I wouldn't have to go to secondary here?" Janardhan asked, now turning to the cat lady. It wasn't that he didn't like where he'd grown up. No, Amma and Appa had done their best to make growing up the most fun experience possible, and the world felt like it was full of possibilities until he walked out the front door.

Then, things got a little messier.

But maybe, maybe this new world, didn't care about the silly stuff this one did. Maybe no one there would joke about the color of his skin, or the way he talked, or how he did things, like the kids at his primary school did.

Maybe people would be different.

Janardhan looked to Amma and Appa, who were quietly whispering to each other, and knew what he needed to do. “Make the decision that’s best for you”, Appa had always said, whenever Janardhan had come to him with questions, “and once you’ve made it, don’t let it go.” And no matter how much he tried to control the magic on his own, nothing would make it easier as much as training by people who knew how it worked would.

"What kinds of things will I learn, at this school?" He asked, and the cat lady's features softened just slightly. He looked over to Appa, who smiled just slightly, and then grinned and nodded his way through a lecture for the ages.

* * *

Lily, of course, was a pureblood from a respectable family. There was no need for anyone to come to her, cat lady or otherwise.

She was already aware of Hogwarts and its sprawling grounds, of the Great Lake, the dungeons, and even the high tower where the Ravenclaw common room was located.

The Evans family had been sorted into Ravenclaw for generations, and were prided on their intelligence. Many of her ancestors were documented as wise leaders in the wizarding world, always at the forefront of their fields.

Lily didn’t particularly care what house she was placed in, so long as she could explore the new world Hogwarts promised. Not to say that she wasn’t a bright girl. Quite the contrary, actually. Her tutors commended her work ethic and the practiced ease with which she performed potions.

So it was no surprise when the family owl swooped through the arching window in their kitchen, landing primly beside her with an envelope held in it’s beak. It also didn’t come as a surprise when this prompted a happy, “have you been practicing your riddles?” from her mother.

She only smiled, taking the letter in one hand and a spoonful of cereal in the other.

* * *

Janardhan steadily pushed his trolley down the platform toward the train, trying to look less nervous than he felt. Amma and Appa had embarrassed him thoroughly outside the entrance to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, as they hadn’t known if they could come through or not, and upon separation from them, the nerves had hit him and hard.

He’d never really been away from his parents before, and although they had made him promise several times that he would enjoy himself, he didn’t quite know if he could. He climbed into the train, pulling his trunk up and into the train by the handle before dragging it along behind him as he began his search for an empty compartment.

All sorts of fears began piling up in his head-- would the other kids like him? Would he make any friends? Would anyone want to sit by him in class? He was so deeply absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice when he walked straight into another first year, who only barely managed to keep her footing.

She stepped back, reaching up to check that her elaborate hairstyle had stayed in place. Green eyes looked Janardhan up and down, taking in the odd combination of his neatly buttoned shirt, perfectly pressed trousers, and messy hair.

Amma had tried to impress the idea of making a good impression on him, even going as far as to pick out his clothes and make sure they were in perfect condition, but even she had been able to do nothing to Janardhan’s hair-- even when it was as short as she’d cut it, it simply did what it wanted, despite all efforts to stop it.

“You’re a muggleborn, aren’t you? You’ve gotta be.” The girl said.

“Yeah.” Janardhan said, frowning in confusion. Was it that obvious? He’d been trying to fit in, but if everyone could tell this easily, that explained the strange looks he’d been getting from the children in the compartments. “What’s it to you?”

He suddenly found a finger thrust into his face by the girl, who was now beaming at him. “You’re going to sit with me, then!”

“That sounds fun?” He said, quite scared. If no one was sitting with her either, who knew what she was like?

She took his arm, her other hand moving to help drag his trunk down the train corridor. “I’ve never met a muggleborn before. I’m Lily.” She said, peering into compartments as they passed.

“Glad to be the first, then.” Janardhan said, smiling nervously. She’d introduced herself by name, but should he? She’d likely make fun of it, and that’d put him back down to square one. He didn’t care if she did, that was her problem, but it would be a horrible start in this new world if the first person who’d talked to him today turned out to be mean.

“Here, this one is empty.” Lily didn’t seem to notice his lack of name, as she was pushing into a compartment. “Do you need help putting your trunk up there?”

“I’ve got it.” Janardhan said, lifting his trunk up with some trouble before shoving it onto the rack, sitting down heavily on the seat afterward. “Have you really never met a muggleborn before? How come?”

After some questioning, the cat lady, whose real name was Minerva McGonagall, had admitted that there were far less muggleborn students at the school than students born and raised in the wizarding world, but had mentioned that the number was increasing under the direction of Hogwarts’ current headmaster. But, if Lily had never met a muggleborn before, maybe that had been all marketing.

“I dunno, I just haven’t.” Lily shrugged. “I’m a pureblood, so we don’t really talk to muggles or muggleborns all that often. Half-bloods sometimes, if we run into them in Diagon Alley!” She took the seat opposite him, crossing her legs at the ankles. “But that means you’ve never met a real wizard or witch before, right?”

“Professor McGonagall came by to tell my parents and I about magic, but other than that, only the people I’ve seen on the platform.” Janardhan said, shrugging. “Is there anything I should know? Before we get there?” He sounded slightly more nervous asking the question. “‘Cause it was obvious to you that I was muggleborn, and I’d like to not stick out like a sore thumb. If that’s possible. Not that I already don’t. Never mind.”

“It’s your clothes.” She admitted, pointing towards his outfit, looking both amused and curious. She was already dressed in the uniform Janardhan had been supplied with, though with a skirt instead of his neatly pressed slacks. “We don’t really dress like that.”

“Oh.” He said, ducking his head in embarrassment. “I didn’t really know what to expect.”

“Guess you wouldn’t.” Lily agreed, moving to dig through the bag slung over her shoulder. Whatever luggage she had brought on the train with her was mysteriously absent, leaving only the almost-empty bag at her side. “I’ve got some pictures of my family, if you’d like to take a look at our clothes.”

“Sure.” Janardhan said, nodding. He’d take any help he could get.

She produced several polaroids, holding them out to Janardhan. He accepted them, looking through the pictures. They seemed to be of the same four people- Lily, an adult man with salt and pepper hair, a woman with a kind face, and another small girl with a perpetually pinched expression. They were dressed in all manner of colorful robes, but what was truly astonishing about the pictures was that they seemed to be moving.

“The pictures are moving.” Janardhan said, looking to Lily in confusion. He’d never seen pictures that moved, before. Maybe that was another one of those things that he’d have to pick up on. “Do they always do that here?”

“Of course.” She frowned at him, obviously puzzled by the question. “Do muggle pictures not move? That seems dumb.”

“They don’t move at all.” Janardhan said, frowning. That was rude of her to say-- just because muggle pictures didn’t move didn’t mean that they were any less interesting. He handed her pictures back, suddenly uneasy. “And it’s not dumb. It’s just how they work.”

Lily was quiet as she put her pictures back. “I don’t have a camera on me, but I can show you one at Hogwarts. I’m sure one of the other students brought one.” She said. “Do you have any pictures? The only ones I know that don’t move are my sister’s drawings.”

“Just the one.” Janardhan said, trying to hide his hesitance as he pulled a worn wallet out of the pocket of his trousers. Appa had just gotten a new one, and he’d given Janardhan his old one as a gift. Thankfully, neither of his parents had called too much attention to the fact that he’d nicked one of their smaller family pictures from the display case and hidden it in the wallet before leaving. He pulled it out now, carefully, and held it out to Lily.

She took it carefully between her fingers, trying not to wrinkle the edges as she examined it.

The picture was of Janardhan standing between two adults, obviously his parents. His mother, who looked very much like him, was just barely shorter than her son, and smiled brightly at the photographer. His father, much taller than both his wife and son, looked quite stern, and in the middle of it all Janardhan was grinning mischievously, like he knew something the photographer didn’t.

Lily blinked, staring down at the picture for a long moment before saying anything. “You’re right, it really doesn’t move.” She held it out for him to take. “Your mum is real pretty.”

“Thanks.” Janardhan said, his easy smile returning as he took the picture back. “She’s the prettiest in the whole wide world. She’s more excited about me going off to Hogwarts than I am, really.”

“You’re going to love Hogwarts.” Lily told him with a grin. “It’s amazing. Do you know about the houses?”

“Not really.” He said, fidgeting nervously. “I know some about the subjects we’ll be learning, but not much else.”

Lily scooted forward, holding up four fingers. “There are four houses. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. We’ll be sorted into one of them based on our personality traits.” She recited, as though quoting someone. “Gryffindor takes the brave, Hufflepuff takes the honest and hardworking, Slytherin takes the ambitious, and Ravenclaw takes the wise, and those with a desire to learn. My whole family has been sorted into Ravenclaw for as long as I can remember!”

“What if you’re two things?” Janardhan asked, frowning in confusion. “Like hardworking and smart? Or wise and brave? Do you just get put in whichever house you like more?”

She blinked, leaning back. “I’m not really sure.” She admitted. “I guess they just put you in whichever house?”

“What house do you think you’ll be in?” Janardhan asked, curious.

“Well, my whole family has this thing for Ravenclaw, like I said.” She shrugged. “But I don’t really care what I get. What about you?”

“I don’t know.” He said, frowning slightly. “I’m still worried I’ll make it all the way there and they’ll kick me out, to be honest.”

“You wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t do magic.” She said. “And you won’t be able to break any rules fast enough to get kicked out that quick.”

“I won’t be trying, don’t worry.” He said, grinning. “I guess that makes sense. Just feels a little unreal still, you know? I guess you wouldn’t, but you get the point.”

A sheepish shrug was the only immediate answer. “I guess I don’t get it. I’ve always known I’d end up here.” She said. “But maybe we’ll get sorted together, right? It’ll be fun! I’ll make sure you don’t get lost or anything.”

“Maybe.” He said, excited at the thought of being sorted together with a friend. That would be nice, especially if they were in the same classes. And seeing as Lily already knew how the wizarding world worked, that made her even better of a friend to have. “I’m horrible with directions, though. That’s your warning.”

“Duly noted.” Lily grinned. “I’ll have to put a tracking charm on you if you disappear too often. Once we learn how to do that, anyways.”

“A tracking charm?” Janardhan asked curiously, as someone knocked on the door of the compartment. He turned his head to see who the visitor was, only to see a thin, nervous looking boy with sandy brown hair standing in front of the door, hand still held out as if unsure as to whether he should knock again. Janardhan sprung to his feet, running over to pull the door open. “Hi! Looking for somewhere to sit?”

“I am, yeah.” The boy looked quite grateful, and shuffled in when Janardhan stepped aside. “I’m Remus, by the way.”

“I’m Lily!” The redhead smiled, gesturing to Janardhan. “And this is… uh. Actually, I don’t think I caught your name.”

“Janardhan.” He said, sticking his hand out for Remus to shake. Remus shook it, smiling nervously. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Remus said, sitting down on Lily’s side of the compartment. Once he’d sat down, Remus nervously picked at the corners of his shabby looking robes. “You’re first years as well, then?”

“Yeah.” Janardhan said, nodding. “In the same boat as you. Or train, technically, seeing as we’re on one.”

“Do you know about the houses?” Lily asked, raising her eyebrow.

“My father went to Hogwarts.” Remus said. “He was in Ravenclaw, so I suppose I’ll be there as well.”

“I don’t think I’d make even a halfway decent Ravenclaw, so there goes the chance of us getting sorted together.” Janardhan said, chuckling.

“Then we’ll get sorted somewhere else.” Lily decided. “Gryffindor could be fun.”

“I’d make a decent Hufflepuff, I suppose, if I worked at it.” Janardhan said, shrugging. “Gryffindor’s most likely, though. For me. My parents have always said I’ve been a little too brave for my own good.”

“Me as well, I think.” Remus said, nodding. “I’m fine as long as I’m not in Slytherin. I don’t suppose I could make it there.”

“Oh, Slytherin isn’t so bad.” Lily shrugged. “My friend Sirius is going to get sorted there- his whole family is full of Slytherins.”

“Sounds nice for your friend.” Janardhan said. Hogwarts sounded like it could get awfully lonely very quickly, if you didn’t have any friends with you, and family were practically like built in friends. Whenever he’d been able to go back to India, that’s how his cousins had been, at least. “Good to have family around.”

Remus’ expression darkened slightly, but he nodded anyway.

“Well, ‘Tuney will be angry with me if I get sorted into Gryffindor.” Lily mused. “But she can deal with it.”

“What house is she in?” Janardhan asked. “That’s her sister, by the way. The one she’s talking about.” He added, for Remus’ benefit.

“She’s in Ravenclaw.” Lily shrugged. “How’d you know I was talking about my sister, Janardhan?”

Janardhan looked quite nervous, staring pointedly out the window as he spoke. “She looked like the angry type from the pictures, so when you said she’d be mad, I thought…”

Lily let out a loud peal of laughter. “You’re right! ‘Tuney is always angry at something or other!”

“Having siblings sounds like a right nightmare.” Janardhan pulled a face. “I’m glad it’s just me, at home.”

“Same.” Remus cracked a smile. “It’s just me and my parents as well. Lily’s the odd one out.”

“You can have her.” Lily giggled. “But don’t tell her I said that. She’ll yell at me.”

“You make her sound like some sort of dinosaur. Like Godzilla or something.” Janardhan muttered, earning a laugh from Remus.

“What’s Godzilla?” Lily frowned.

“Godzilla’s a big dinosaur.” Remus said, before pausing to think. “Those are like dragons. Except without wings.”

“Muggle dragons!” Lily seemed excited by the prospect. “Brilliant!”

“Muggle dragons.” Janardhan nodded. “Wait, does this mean there are real dragons?”

“Of course, silly.” Lily waved her hand. “They don’t really have any in England, though. Not legal ones.”

“Comforting thought.” Janardhan said, looking distinctly uneasy.

“We’re nearly there, you know.” Remus spoke up. “You should get changed.”

“I should.” Janardhan nodded. “The problem is that I’ve put the trunk all the way up there, and that I don’t feel like getting it down.”

“You have to. It’s the school rules. You’ve got to show up in uniform.” Remus said, sighing.

“Fine, fine.” Janardhan groaned, before pulling his trunk down off the rack above his head and onto the seat. “I still don’t get how the robes work.”

“Remus can help you.” Lily got to her feet, leaving her bag discarded on the seat. “I’m going to go get my trunk from Sirius’ compartment.”

“Be careful.” Janardhan called out, as Lily left the compartment. “We’re in Scotland now. Dragons could be everywhere!”

“All pureblood children are trained in dragon fighting.” Came her response from the corridor, just before the door slid shut.

“She’s kidding, right?” Janardhan looked to Remus, slightly worried.

“What makes you think I’d know?” Remus said.

“Well, that’s one friend lost. Guess we’ve only got each other.” Janardhan sighed. “Haven’t even started school yet and things are already not going my way.”

* * *

The Great Hall was as breathtaking as Petunia had described it. Perhaps even better, really. After the boat ride across the lake, something that Janardhan and Remus had enjoyed much more than she had expected them to, Lily was glad to be back in the warmth of a building.

The four tables were crowded with students of all ages, watching the first years spill through the entrance with varying degrees of interest. Lily spotted her sister perched at the Ravenclaw table, surrounded by some of the pureblood children she recalled from their childhood. She waved enthusiastically, but the only response she received was a motion for her to calm down.

“I forgot to ask on the train, but how do they sort us?” Janardhan whispered over to Lily.

Another first year shushed them loudly, and Janardhan put some distance between him and Lily, nervously running a hand through his hair. Thankfully, names were beginning to be called for the sorting, so the friends could talk without being bothered now, as long as they did it quietly.

“Dunno!” Lily smiled. “They wouldn’t tell me, and Petunia told me it was rather silly.”

“That’s reassuring.” Remus said dryly. “My dad said it isn’t too bad, and that I shouldn’t be too scared.”

“What sort of person is your dad?” Janardhan asked nervously.

“He’s Britain’s leading expert on ghosts.” Remus said, and Janardhan slapped a hand over his eyes.

“Muggle ghosts or wizard ghosts?” Lily asked. “Is there a difference between muggle ghosts and wizard ghosts?”

“He works for the Ministry.” Remus said. “I wouldn’t know. Is there a difference, Janardhan?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Janardhan said, shrugging. “We don’t set much store by ghosts, where I’m from.”

“Well, I suppose that’ll change pretty fast.” Lily giggled.

“Why do you think that?” Janardhan asked, before taking his first real look around the Great Hall. “What are the floating things?”

“Ghosts.” Remus said, grinning. “They’re everywhere, in Hogwarts.”

“Brilliant.” Janardhan said, sighing. “As if there weren’t enough live people to be worried about, now I’ve got to worry about dead people too.”

“They’re harmless.” Lily insisted. “Mostly. You should watch out for the Bloody Baron, though.”

“Which one’s tha--” Janardhan noticed a menacing looking ghost hovering over the Slytherin table. “Oh. That one.”

“That one.” Lily confirmed.

“Sirius Black!” Called the professor at the front of the Hall. A wiry youth broke free of the crowd of first years, practically swaggering up to the stool at the front of the room.

“He does that when he’s nervous.” Lily whispered to her friends.

Sirius took a seat, smiling as the hat fell on top of his hair. It had barely settled before announcing its decision. The cry of “GRYFFINDOR!” echoed throughout the Great Hall.

“Huh.” Lily murmured over the sudden outbreak of whispering, as the boy made his way to a table under red and gold banners. “That’s new.”

“Lily Evans!” The professor at the head of the room called.

“Good luck.” Janardhan whispered.

Lily set off down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, her chin held high. She could already see some of the Ravenclaws shuffling about, making room for where she would sit down.

Lily took a seat on the wobbly stool, only getting to see the sprawling hall and all the eyes on her for a single moment before her gaze was obscured by the hat.

“Ah, an Evans.” A voice whispered in her ear. “An intellectual with a knack for learning… An easy fit, of course.”

“No!” Lily hissed sharply, keeping her voice low. “It’s gotta be Gryffindor. I’m brave enough for it!”

“Are you?” The voice mused. When she didn’t respond beyond tightening her grip on the stool, it chuckled.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Lily’s smile was blinding when the hat was pulled off, and her footsteps quick when she ran for the cheering table of lions. She briefly caught sight of her sister’s face- frozen in baffled outrage.

A few names later, Remus was called up to the stool, and nervously made his way up. The hat was only on his head a few seconds before it bellowed out an enthusiastic “Gryffindor!” and a relieved Remus made his way to Lily, sitting down beside her.

“That wasn’t hard at all!” Remus said, grinning.

“It’s just a hat.” She agreed, bumping her shoulder into his. “I thought we might have to fight some sort of monster.”

“No monsters, thankfully!” Remus declared, before pointing toward the professor reading the names. She had a distinctly confused look on her face, and Remus looked a little apologetic as he pointed it out. “Look, Janardhan’s up next.”

“Ja--Jana--” The professor began, and Janardhan rushed up to the stool like he was being chased, hurriedly tugging the hat onto his head like he wanted it to be over with. His reaction to having his name called was already starting whispers among the older students, some of whom were doing little to hide the fact that they were laughing at him.

“Gryffindor!” The hat yelled again, and Janardhan ran for the Gryffindor table as soon as he’d handed the hat back, stopping right next to Remus and Lily.

“Have you got space for another?” He asked, fidgeting nervously, and Remus scooted over to leave him space to sit down. Janardhan gratefully sat down, heaving a sigh of relief. “That wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.”

“This is gonna be so fun!” Lily threw her arms around the boys, grinning at the both of them.

“This is going to be the best.” Janardhan corrected.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, almost four months later, we're back! Hopefully this is a good note to come back on, although this is yet another bad week for Janardhan. Things will turn around soon, hopefully, and this time, it'll probably take less than four months for it to happen? We won't make any promises, though!
> 
> -S&L

The prefect, a willowy girl with a mass of curly blonde hair, had told everyone the password to enter the Gryffindor common room. She had advised all of them to turn in, as they had a long day tomorrow. Many of the first years had complied, chattering happily as they made their way up the respective staircases to their new dormitories.

Lily, of course, had grabbed her new friends and made sure they stayed in the swiftly emptying common room. “Gryffindor!” She exclaimed.

“Gryffindor!” Janardhan repeated eagerly. “I’m glad we’re all here. Would’ve been horrible, getting stuck alone.”

“Agreed.” Remus said, grinning. He spotted a boy loitering by the staircase, and his expression darkened. “The roommate situation will be a little new.”

“Sirius!” Lily exclaimed, noticed the black-haired boy. “What happened to Slytherin?”

“What happened to Ravenclaw?” He called back jovially, already approaching the trio.

“Like I was about to be stuck with Petunia for another six years.” Lily snorted.

“Based on what I’ve heard about Petunia, I doubt anyone would want to.” Remus muttered.

“Gonna introduce me to your friends?” Sirius gave Lily a crooked grin.

Lily shrugged, clapping a hand to Janardhan’s shoulder. “This is Janardhan, and this is Remus.” She said. “Guys, this is Sirius Black. We sorta grew up together.”

“That’s cool.” Janardhan stuck out his hand, before looking to Lily for confirmation. Did wizards shake hands? “Nice to meet you.”

Sirius shook his hand, alleviating Janardhan’s concerns. “Weird name.” He said with a cocky smirk. “My family is all named after stars, though, so I guess it’s a trend. Nice to meet you too.”

“It’s not a weird name.” Janardhan said, smile falling slightly. “The star thing’s kind of cool.”

“Yeah, but you end up with some ridiculous names.” He rolled his eyes, turning to Remus.

“Maybe you should listen to the prefect and go to sleep. You look like something my brother’s cat dragged in.”

“You’re being rude. Cut it out.” Remus said, frowning. “I get that you’re nervous, but we all are. No need to pick on anyone.”

“I’m not nervous.” He protested.

“I would be, if I were you.” Lily shrugged. “Your mother is going to throw a fit over you not being in Slytherin.”

“I can handle her.” Sirius scoffed.

Janardhan fidgeted awkwardly, looking between Lily and Sirius. “Is sorting really that big of a deal?”

“It’s dumb.” Sirius said at the same time Lily responded with a simple “yes.”

“Some people care more than others.” Remus said with a shrug. “Purebloods tend to feel a little more strongly about it than most.”

“I hope things go well, then.” Janardhan said.

“I don’t care what they think.” Sirius crossed his arms.

“Yes you do.” Lily said with a frown.

“I don’t care what you think, either. Shut up, Lily.”

“It’s our first night here. Let’s not fight?” Janardhan said nervously. “We’ve all got school tomorrow, and that’s bad enough without a fight brewing between your friends.”

“Forget it.” Sirius mumbled testily, turning and heading towards the boy’s dormitories. “Have fun with your new friends, Lily. I’ll see you later.”

“He sounds like a fun sort.” Remus said, frowning.

“Don’t worry about him.” Lily said, sticking her tongue out at Sirius’ retreating form. “He’s just scared of what his mom is gonna say when he goes home for break.”

“Is his mom mean?” Janardhan asked, looking quite worried.

“She’s a total tart!” Lily said, lowering her voice after a thoughtful pause. “It’s pretty common in the Black family, though. They’re all really harsh. Regulus, that’s Sirius’ little brother, is pretty good at being a wallflower, but Sirius has always liked making trouble. He ends up on his mom’s bad side more often than not.”

“That’s scary.” Janardhan said, shaking his head. “Wow.”

“You get used to it. I’m just lucky my parents dropped the idea of marrying me into the family.” Lily shrugged. “I’m sorta worried about Reggie, now that he’s home alone. But he’ll be here next year!”

“You’re eleven.” Remus said, disbelieving. “They’re talking about marriage already?”

“Petunia’s already engaged, technically.” Lily frowned. “Is that a pureblood thing, too?”

“At eleven?” Remus said, shocked. “Definitely.”

“Huh.” Lily seemed mildly surprised by the new information, as though it had never occurred to her that most eleven year-olds didn’t enter into arranged marriages.

“Muggles have rules about those things.” Remus said.

“British Muggles do.” Janardhan clarified.

“Just British muggles?” Lily’s face grew even more perplexed.

“Girls get engaged by thirteen or fourteen back home.” Janardhan shrugged. “Usually earlier.”

“Oh, some families wait that long!” Lily said. “But the older the family, the younger they start planning, you know? The Blacks, the Malfoys, the Evanses. We all go way back. I’m probably related to Sirius, somehow.”

“Makes sense.” Janardhan nodded.

“That’s weird.” Remus said, looking at them both with an expression of mild disdain. “People should be doing normal kid stuff, at eleven. Not getting married.”

“Engaged. We get engaged young, and usually married right out of Hogwarts.” Lily told Remus with a shrug. “Lots of us still date and do regular kid stuff, but they have to remember that it’s only temporary.”

“Wow.” Remus said. “That’s very… wow.”

“That makes sense.” Janardhan nodded. “It is only temporary, I mean, you’ll have to get married someday.”

“See? Janardhan gets me.” Lily clapped a hand to Janardhan’s shoulder, grinning happily.

“Remus is just used to different stuff, that’s all.” Janardhan said. “The more we talk, the more we’ll all get each other.”

“That’s very true.” Remus nodded.

“Well, we’ve got seven years to get sick of each other.” Lily smiled. “Might as well stick together, right?”

“Right.” Janardhan agreed.

“Tomorrow, though.” Lily amended. “Because we should probably go to sleep.”

“We have school tomorrow.” Janardhan said, sounding disheartened, and Remus nodded solemnly.

“We’ll be off, then. Good night, Lily.” Remus said, giving her a little wave, before motioning for Janardhan to come with him, before starting off toward the boys’ dormitory stairs. Janardhan shot a smile her way before running off after Remus, taking the stairs two at a time.

Lily paused for a moment in the empty common room, an absent smile settling over her face. She had never been without friends, growing up surrounded by other pureblood children. But this was something different. Something new, where she got to choose who she spent time with and what to do with them.

She wasn’t going to waste a single minute.

* * *

 

Janardhan trooped into the Potions classroom, right behind Remus and Lily. The room was dark and damp in a way that encouraged claustrophobia, and Janardhan felt as if the stone walls were closing in on him. He should’ve expected this from a classroom that was down in the dungeons, but he honestly hadn’t thought that Lily was telling the truth when she’d said where the classroom was. All of this castle business had him entirely confused, and he was barely managing to keep track of his classes and all the things he had to learn.

Maybe, he thought bitterly, he should’ve just taken the risk and gone to secondary at home. At least there, he would’ve known what was going on. As he’d found, both at the morning meal and in the classes he’d attended, he was way out of his league-- all the pureblood and half-bloods in his grade had used their wands for magic already, and even some of the other muggleborns had tried it out. It was Janardhan alone who had waited until getting to school to test it out, something he was sure his mother, who was constantly lamenting his flippant attitude toward rule breaking, would be simultaneously proud of and worried about.

“You alright?” Remus asked, nudging Janardhan in the ribs, and Janardhan shrugged. He didn’t know what he was feeling, and putting words to it would make it more real. He’d actually have to deal with it then. It was better, then, not to commit to anything in particular, and focus on the work ahead of him. “Groups of two, looks like. Would you like Lily or I as a partner?”

“Let’s try our hands at this, yeah, Remus?” Janardhan said, trying to sound more confident than it looked. Lily looked a little disappointed, but Janardhan pointed toward Sirius. “Your friend’ll appreciate having you as a partner. Looks like the options on his side are pretty terrible.”

One particular Slytherin, a thin, short boy with a greasy mop of black, stringy hair, cast a disgusted glance in Janardhan’s direction, and he quickly lowered his hand, busying himself with arranging his books and materials on his desk. He’d met boys like that before, had gone to schools full of them, and Janardhan knew full well that the best way to avoid their anger was to not engage with them at all. Even breathing in their direction was enough of a reason for a fight, with some of those boys, and he wasn’t eager to start a fight on his first day at Hogwarts. Remus occupied himself with the same task, similarly solemn and precise about how and where he arranged his things, and Janardhan felt quite secure in the fact that he and Remus would be the best of friends someday, if they weren’t already.

“Any experience with this kind of stuff?” Remus asked, once they’d set their things out, and were waiting for the teacher to begin the lesson. “Chemistry, cooking, anything at all?”

“My family runs a natural medicine type business.” Janardhan said hesitantly, not quite sure how to explain his family’s profession, and Remus looked quite surprised. Janardhan didn’t think it was too surprising, but maybe that was because he was used to being the ayurvedic doctors’ son. “I’ve been helping with mixing medicine since I was a little kid, so this shouldn’t be too bad? I hope?”

“That’s good. You won’t be far behind here, then.” Remus said, sounding quite pleased, as Slughorn began to speak.

“Hello, first years!” The teacher stood. He was dressed in richly colored robes, which draped over his portly frame in a surprisingly flattering manner. “My name is Professor Slughorn. Now, I’m sure you’ve heard similar things from all your teachers today, but I can assure you that potions is the class that will get you furthest in life. A success in this class will lead to a successful career, and I plan on propelling you all into the future.” He clapped his hands together.

“My dad says that you should make friends with him, and do good in his classes, if you want to get successful fast.” Remus whispered to Janardhan, who nodded seriously. He’d need all the help he could get. “The kids who get on his good side get high places really fast.”

Slughorn set them to making a boil curing potion he called simple, but Janardhan was puzzled by the ingredients list alone. Horned slugs? Porcupine quills? Snake fangs? How did they eat these things? Janardhan barely kept himself from making gagging noises as he crushed the snake fangs in the mortar, smashing the pestle down on them with vigor as he remembered what Remus had said about Slughorn possibly opening doors for him if he did well. He needed to excel here.

“That’s one measure.” Remus said, as Janardhan added his. “And here’s a second.” He said, dropping his own in. “Right, one more from each of us and we should be good.”

Janardhan nodded, setting to work on a second batch of six crushed fangs. He poured that into the cauldron seconds ahead of Remus, before looking back to the book for the next instruction and turning up the heat for ten seconds, which he counted off carefully under his breath. Remus waved his wand over it, looking unduly serious, before the tension on his face faded and he grinned at James.

“Well, that’s part one done.” He remarked, sounding quite relieved. “Now we wait, I guess.”

Slughorn approached, peering into their cauldron with a keen eye. “Hmm… Looking good, boys. You should probably look to stew your slugs now, though.”

“Professor?” Janardhan spoke up, sounding much more hesitant than usual. He tried to keep his voice from shaking, not wanting to cause any trouble or draw attention to himself. Enough eyes were on him already-- he didn’t need more. “Do we… Do we need to use the slugs? I mean, I don’t think anyone wants to eat slugs, and there’s probably an alternative that doesn’t involve...” Janardhan trailed off, looking away.

“Not use the slugs? Don’t be ridiculous.” Slughorn looked rather taken aback by the suggestion. “They’re on the ingredients list, and I highly recommend following the directions to the T. Deviation at your level could be incredibly dangerous.”

“I just wanted to know, sir. I’ll… We’ll use the slugs. No problem.” Janardhan said, trying to sound as polite as possible, as Slughorn moved to the next set of tables. Remus cast an apologetic glance at Janardhan, who shrugged. He’d caused the trouble to begin with. “Can you handle the slugs? I know you don’t like them either, but I’d rather not.”

“Is it a religious thing?” Remus asked, quickly beginning to prepare the slugs. “Not being able to eat this stuff or touch it, or something?”

“Yeah.” Janardhan nodded. “Dairy’s alright, except for eggs. Any other animal products are way off limits. Some vegetables too.”

“You are not going to enjoy this class.” Remus said, shaking his head, as he sat back, watching the stewing slugs. Janardhan winced. He really had wanted to do well in Potions, but if Remus was saying that was impossible, maybe it was out of reach. “Not. At. All.”

* * *

 

Lily had planted herself at the same station as Sirius. Potions had always been her strong suit, even if her childhood friend was more of a hindrance than anything else. “Just stand there and look pretty.” She advised him.

“The only thing I’m good at.” He threw a grin at her, and Lily found herself relieved. They had always fought, growing up. They were both in possession of incredibly short tempers, and it was more common for them to argue than to get along. For some reason, the fight from the night before had felt more significant to her. But if Sirius was still cracking jokes and letting her partner with him, then whatever she’d done could be fixed.

“If that’s you being good at something, I don’t want to see what you’re bad at.” She quipped, already beginning to assemble the necessary ingredients.

“Bad at being good.” Sirius shot back, and she had the distinct impression that if he owned a pair of sunglasses, he would have put them on in that moment.

“You’re a loser.” She laughed.

“Will you two shut up?” The new voice was nasally and high-pitched, and Lily felt herself harboring a deep dislike for the owner before even laying eyes on him. The Slytherin in front of them was thin, with a beaked nose and beady eyes. His skin was paler than Lily’s own, and gave him an unhealthy pallor. “Some of us are trying to work.”

“Some of us can work and talk at the same time.” Lily frowned, her grip on the mortar and pestle tightening slightly.

“Guess you aren’t so great at potions, if you’re getting distracted so easily.” Sirius agreed. The Slytherin’s eyes narrowed further as he flared his nostrils in silent rage.

“Certainly better than you.” The boy said in a clipped tone. “You’re obviously all bark and no bite.”

“Oh, I’m plenty of bite.” Sirius bared his teeth, as though willing to demonstrate his meaning. Had Lily been in a friendlier mood, she would have warned the Slytherin that her friend did, in fact, bite. She had been on the receiving end one too many times, growing up.

“You’re barbaric.” The boy snapped.

“You’re idiotic!” Sirius shouted back.

“Is there a problem here?” Slughorn approached the squabbling trio, and Lily frowned up at him.

“He’s distracting us from our work, sir.” She told him. “I was talking to my partner and he started being rude.”

The boy spluttered out a protest, casting a finger at Lily and Sirius. “They were being loud! I couldn’t concentrate on what I was doing.”

“Severus, partners need to communicate with each other if you’re to mix a potion properly.” Slughorn tutted. “Five points from Slytherin, and five from Gryffindor for fighting.”

Sirius snapped his teeth at Severus as the professor turned away. It earned him a glare from the Slytherin, and a subtle highfive beneath the desk from Lily.

At least, she reasoned, they had waited a full twenty-four hours before making enemies.

* * *

 

“So”, Janardhan said, attempting to sound hopeful, “there’s only about fifteen weeks and some odd days left, after this.”

“That’s a lot of days.” Remus said with a sigh.

They approached the Gryffindor Common Room, not one of them looking forward to the night full of homework ahead. Thankfully, or maybe not so thankfully, homework wasn’t in the cards for the trio, at least for another hour.

Standing in front of the portrait of the fat lady was a second year. She wore Ravenclaw colors, and her blonde hair was pinned up in a manner similar to Lily’s elaborate hairstyles. Her lips were pursed and her expression pinched, but her gaze was drawn easily to Lily. “There you are.” She huffed. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Hey, ‘Tuney.” Lily said. “You coulda just come over to our table at lunch, y’know.”

“I think this is more of a… private conversation.” Her disapproving gaze swept over Janardhan and Remus, causing Lily’s previously relaxed frame to stiffen.

“Anything you can say to me can be said in front of my friends.” She told her sister testily. “This is Remus, and this is Janardhan. We met on the train.”

“Hello.” Janardhan said, trying his best to appear friendly. He couldn’t help but remember the picture Lily had shown him on the train, when he saw Petunia’s face now. Maybe she really was always angry.

Petunia let out a delicate snort, if a snort could ever be described as such. She pretended Janardhan hadn’t spoken, instead focusing on her little sister. “Don’t be stubborn, Lily. It isn’t ladylike.”

“Oh, boo.” Lily rolled her eyes. “Because I’m just so invested in looking ladylike.”

“Mother and father aren’t going to be happy about this.” Petunia continued, folding her hands in front of her. “I’m going to be writing them all about it, you know.”

“‘Tuney the tattletale.” Lily crossed her arms. “Do you want me to pretend to be surprised?”

Petunia heaved a sigh, glancing between Janardhan and Remus. “You should at least be spending your time with Sirius, you know. It’s more respectable.”

Janardhan’s face fell, and he shrank back behind Remus.

“I don’t micromanage your life, so you don’t get to micromanage mine.” Lily brushed past her sister to stand in front of the portrait, eyes narrowed at her sister. “And I’m not saying the password while you’re still here.”

“Lily, come on.” Remus said. “Let’s go.”

Lily leveled her sister with a glare, but Petunia only shook her head. “You’re being ridiculous.” She said, turning to leave. “Talk to me once you’ve gotten some sense through that thick skull of yours.”

There was a heavy silence as she walked away, footsteps soft against the carpeted floor. Lily stomped her foot once her sister had turned the corner, letting out an angry grunt. “How’d she even find out where our common room is?”

“She’s got experience on us.” Janardhan shrugged. “Maybe she’s gone exploring?”

“She’s only twelve.” Lily grumbled, muttering the password to the portrait. “She just likes to act like she knows everything.”

“I thought she was a lot older than you.” Janardhan said. “She’s only twelve?”

“Only twelve.” Lily repeated, slipping into the common room with a huff.

“I’m glad I don’t have siblings.” Janardhan said, before following her in.

“Yeah.” Remus agreed. “Me either.”

* * *

 

> _Dear Mum and Dad,_
> 
> _I’m having a lot of fun at Hogwarts so far. Sirius and I were both sorted into Gryffindor, so we’ll be able to keep an eye on each other. I can’t promise to keep him out of trouble, though, because we all know that’s impossible. Hopefully when Reggie gets here next year, he’ll sort his brother out._
> 
> _I don’t actually think I’ll be spending a lot of time with Sirius, beyond being his partner in potions. I’ve actually made some new friends, and they don’t get along with him all that well. Remus is a halfblood. His dad is Britain’s leading expert on ghosts- how fun! Janardhan is a mudblood I met on the train, and he’s really nice. Kind of clueless, but I’m sure he’ll get the hang of things soon enough. Did you know that muggle photos don’t move?_
> 
> _I promise to keep up with my studies, even though I’m not in Ravenclaw. I promise it isn’t the end of the world, and this way I get to learn even more about the other houses, right? Our common room is in one of the other towers, and we have a password instead of a riddle. The other girls in my dorm seem nice, so I hope I’ll be able to get to know them._
> 
> _Love Always,_   
>  _Lily_
> 
> _P.S. Petunia’s letter is going to be very mad, because she’s being a jerk about this whole situation. I know you tell me not to fight her, but she was rude to my friends!_

* * *

 

> _Dear Amma and Appa,_
> 
> _School is going well. I got sorted into Gryffindor, the brave house with the lion mascot that Amma said I’d be in, so Appa, you owe her one. I made two friends, both in my year and house-- Lily and Remus. Remus is good at Potions (the magic version of what we do at home), and so is Lily, but other than that, they’re very different. Remus is quiet, and Lily seems to like picking fights with people, especially her big sister._
> 
> _Remus is rooming with me, along with Sirius, who’s one of Lily’s old friends, and another boy named Peter, who seems like he needs a good friend of his own. I make sure to talk to him a lot, because he looks lonely. I think he likes it. I’m not sure, but I haven’t really asked him, so I’ll keep doing it. I’ve talked about Remus already, and Sirius is a little rude, but I can handle him! I’ll do my best not to make trouble, but you know how it just sort of happens to me, sometimes._
> 
> _I miss you a lot, and I promise I’m studying. The professors don’t like my essays much, but I’ll know what they want after the first round, at least?_
> 
> _I’ll write more next week. Things should be happening by then?_
> 
> _Yours,_   
>  _Janardhan_


End file.
